Boldface October 29: A.D. Amorosi rounds up the local gossip

The long-vacant Pearl Art building at Fourth and South is getting a new occupant. Performance school/studio Millennium Dance Complex, run by Lori Long and with instructors such as Cris Judd (Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson), starts enrolling students opening weekend, Nov. 28 to Nov. 30.

All of Season 2 of “Alpha House,” the comedy about senators living together in one Capitol Hill townhouse starring John Goodman and created by “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau, was just added to Amazon Prime, and viewers will see some familiar faces. Ed Rendell runs for Senate against Philly actor Clark Johnson (“The Wire”), and comedian Wanda Sykes, currently a Media, Pennsylvania, resident, also makes an appearance.

The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre held its ceremony at the Merriam and its after-party at the Kimmel — and had more surprise drama than the plays it celebrated. Along with upset victories for Inis Nua Theatre (several awards including Best Musical and Emerging Company) and local thespians Charlie DelMarcelle, Ben Dibble and Liz Filios, the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theater Artist (Filios again) came with a shocker. On stage and without prior announcement, Carole Haas Gravagno upped the $10,000 to $15,000 and added $1,000 to the runner-ups’ prizes, too.

Cuba Libre chef/partner Guillermo Pernot and chef/“Hell’s Kitchen” contestant Jennifer Salhoff will debut new tapas and a Latin Grill menu section at the Old City restaurant on Oct. 29.

Seen on the scene

• The grand opening celebration of the 95,000-square-foot Century 21 department store on Eighth and Market has gone on for days. Several private parties, featuring corporate execs from the New York-based store and a men’s fashion show from Sabir M. Peele of MensStylePro.com, were highlights preceding yesterday’s ribbon cutting. At the public opening, the first 300 shoppers receivedmystery gift cards worth up to $1,000.

• Jake Gyllenhaal joined the crowd at Saturday’s student-only screening of upcoming crime thriller “Nightcrawler” at Rave Cinemas University City 6, while Locust Moon Comics Festival went on next door at the Rotunda. Gyllenhaal and director Dan Gilroy posed for photos and introduced the film, after they ate at Pod and hit up Harvest.